Chapter 604
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Chapter 604
Organized chaos.
That was the only way Yan knew to describe it. Ever since Brigadier Hongji ordered the withdrawal and set fire to Sinuji, shed been drifting along in a surreal bubble of organized chaos. There were Demons and Defiled cavalry nipping at their heels and the bulk of the Enemy horde further behind, but for Yan and her retinue stuck in the middle of the Imperial forces, all of the death and turmoil seemed so distant and intangible. Behind them, she could hear the good Brigadier giving orders and calling for more Peak Experts to replace those who were dead or injured, while Yan made sure her hundred-man retinue marched ever eastwards at what felt like a snails pace. The Imperial army moved at a light jog, when every instinct screamed at her to run at full speed or to stand her ground and fight, but orders were orders, and Yan carried hers out to the letter.
Between mitigating nerves and bolstering spirits, Yan slowly pieced Hongjis plan together as they marched along, and for all intents and purposes, it was a decent one. The majority of the Imperial forces were on foot, which meant the closest fortress was two days away. If they kept their current pace, they could cut their travel time down to eighteen hours. A difficult ask, but manageable for most. Those who couldnt keep up could rest in the wagons for a spell, but there were Lieutenants and bully sergeants a plenty to ensure soldiers were completely and utterly spent before allowing them onto the wagons, all while the army marched away beneath the predatory gaze of the Demons and Defiled stalking them.
Yan had hunted often enough to spot the signs. It wasnt that the Defiled couldnt catch up, but they chose not to. They recognized that the Imperial forces were conserving their strength and saw no reason to waste theirs by running down a strong foe. The Defiled were the wolves, and the Imperial Army the stag, and a tired pack was no match for the lord of the forest, not while he was still fresh.
It was both logical and illogical at the same time, in Yans eyes. If the Imperial forces marched faster, then the Defiled would have to match them, and both groups would tire equally, or so she thought, but apparently, this was not the case. Not because the Defiled had more stamina, but because of the mentality behind their positions. The only difference between predator and prey in this instance was a psychological one, but Hongji was using this to his full advantage. If the prey did not present itself as prey, namely panicked and fearful, then the predator would feel uneasy and hold back. It felt like the flimsiest of barriers keeping the Defiled from descending upon the retreating Imperial forces, but by some miracle of the Mother, it was enough.
Tonights events really put Grandpa Dus lessons on tactics and formations into perspective, and Yan cursed her past self for not paying more attention. During her time in Central, she devoted most of her efforts towards making progress along the Martial Path and only spent an hour or two every week on tactics, logistics, and other such nonsense, but now she finally understood where it all fit in, especially once she noticed how things deviated from the norm. For example, Hongji had arranged the wagons in such a way so that those carrying food, uniforms, tents, and other extraneous items were on the extreme flanks of the formation, where they could be easily abandoned to slow down any pursuing Defiled. Wagons carrying water and soldiers were closer to the centre rather than to the rear of the marching troops. This raised clouds of dust and dirt which made it uncomfortable for the Imperial troops to march through, but it also left these most vulnerable of targets well-protected. An army could march a day or two without food, but they wouldnt last four hours without water, a simple fact which Yan would undoubtedly have overlooked.
There were other changes to the standard marching formation which Yan noticed, like how the entire army wasnt marching in a straight line stretching from east to west, but rather a tight, semi-circular row stretching from north to south. That was one reason for the confusion during the withdrawal, something Yan had initially attributed to panic and disorder, but was actually Hongji rearranging his forces into this odd formation. The soldiers werent just haphazardly thrown about and told to march, but painstakingly placed into this optimal formation. Neat blocks of soldiers moved in near lockstep, arranged so that heavy infantry led the way and set the pace while light infantry followed behind, and light cavalry rode on either flank to guard against attack. Yan wasnt sure where the heavy cavalry had gone off to, but this all made sense. This arrangement kept the soldiers in tight formation, since there was no way for the heavy infantry to lag behind, and if they had to turn and fight, the light infantry and cavalry would be less tired than their heavily armoured counterparts.
All this was basic, fundamental knowledge, but Yan found it fascinating to see it all first hand. Up until now, shed been left to her own devices for the most part, commanding her hundred-man retinue atop the battlements or out beyond the front lines. This sort of warfare was an entirely different beast from what she was accustomed to, but she discovered that Grandpa Dus lessons were slowly preparing her to one day command her own army of fifty-thousand or more. A prospect which was both thrilling and frightening, if Yan was being honest, because she was still struggling to feel comfortable in her role as Third Grade Warrant Officer. In fact, she even quietly gave thanks to the Mother Above for keeping her distracted during the Legates banquet this past spring, where most of Yans peers had been promoted to Major or Senior Captain equivalents. Commanding a hundred soldiers was burdensome enough, and Yan was not ready to command a thousand or more.This chapter is updated by nov(e)(l)biin.com
Hell, she was barely qualified to command a hundred. Sutah, her burly, dark-skinned, Southern-born second, managed most of the day to day tasks of Yans retinue, while Rain paid all the bills. The only thing she did was sign them up for ill-fated stints of duty like their most recent outing to thrice-cursed Sinuji.
As the night wore on, Yan continued learning from this hands-on lesson in command, and she was highly impressed by what she saw. The withdrawal had been planned down to the last detail, with tricks and traps aplenty to buy time for the Imperial forces and bleed their Defiled pursuers. Each time Hongji revealed his latest surprise, Yan half-expected the order to turn and fight, but alas, it never came, not even when the catapults revealed themselves to rain stony death upon the Enemy. If ever there were a time to break the Defiled spirits, that would have been it, but instead, Hongji kept them moving ever eastwards with no regards for what lay behind them.
Then she spotted movement ahead, and Yan was filled with awe and admiration for her commander, who somehow conjured up Imperial reinforcements out of thin air to come to their aid.
A sentiment which lasted for all of a second before the command came to form battle lines, as she was not looking at Imperial reinforcements, but seventy-thousand Defiled moving in to intercept. Once again, organized chaos took over as the Imperial army formed up to meet the Enemy, and Yan quickly lost herself to the flow. If not for big brother Kyung coaching her through Sending, she would have had no idea what to do, but she somehow managed to get her retinue together and move them into place, all while marching ever closer towards this new threat.
Somewhere along the way, Du Kang Bing appeared at her side, and Yan was only mildly surprised by his presence. The front lines were more dangerous than ever, so she expected Grandpa Du to provide her with more hidden protectors, and the lusty, but trustworthy young Colonel was one of the few people Grandpa could turn to. What did surprise Yan was how ragged Kang Bing looked, his armour shredded and expression bleak as he took a moment to catch his breath. Congratulations, he Sent, clapping Yan on the shoulder and flashing a fetching smile which did nothing to reassure her. Were in deep shit now. See our formation?
Glancing around the torchlight fields, Yan immediately picked up on her dilemma, because most of the torches were behind her. Were the tip of the spear, she Sent, knowing better than to let her soldiers hear the fear and surprise in her voice.
One spear, at least. Kang Bing pointed to the left, and Yan found a second unit moving up alongside her, albeit almost a hundred metres away.
The pieces fell into place and Hongjis plan revealed itself to her through the banners unfurling around her. Boars head formation, she said, recognizing the formation from one of Grandpas detailed diagrams, with her retinue and Mister Rustrams group forming the two tusks. Behind them, the Central and Southern infantry were forming up in wings, ready to follow up behind the initial charge and jump in wherever help was needed.
Good eye, Kang Bing Sent, nodding in approval. We move in behind the heavy cavalry with Mister Rustram, but theyll be spent by the time we get there. Once we push in, Major XinYue takes his cavalry and withdraws, while the Sentinels keep the garos off our asses. This means we cant count on the cavalry to carry us to victory, so what do we do?
Though not one of Grandpas direct Disciples, Kang Bing was an excellent student and decent teacher, to the point where it almost felt like it was Grandpa standing here to lecture her. Instead of answering right away, she continued looking around for more clues to Hongjis plan. The answer came to her as soon as she recognized the soldiers trickling in from all sides, a motley, dangerous bunch who looked out of place in Imperial regalia. Wang Baos cutthroats formed up around her, former Butchers and Corsairs one and all, while their meticulously groomed ruffian of a leader glowered them into submission, surveying his soldiers with his wicked battle-axe in hand and a devilish smile stretched across his lips, as if hoping to turn the weapon against them. Other Northern soldiers also filtered to the front, some joining her camp and others joining the one moving parallel to her position, led by none other than Rains competent second, Mister Rustram.
The right tool for the right job, as Grandpa Du often said, and it seems Hongji agreed. We need a fast victory and only have infantry to do it, Yan Sent. Mister Rustram and I are here to push through the Defiled Centre, while the groups behind us shore up the flanks. We cut in deep, bisect the Enemy horde and come out behind them, then turn around and collapse. With luck, we rout the intercepting force before our pursuers catch up, and then keep running to fight another day.
Got it in one. Thirty-five thousand Imperial infantry set against seventy thousand or so Defiled, and Brigadier Hongji has placed the outcome of this battle upon your shoulders. Flashing the charming smile which secured him so many wives and concubines, Kang Bing Sent, And if we fail, then ninety percent of Hongjis forces will be dead before dawn, and they can count themselves fortunate. His smile melting away, he asked, You up for the challenge?
Fuck yea, Yan blurted out, forgetting to Send in all her excitement. As dire as their situation might be, she was elated to have her skills recognized by a man like Hongji and given this daunting task, because up until now, shed accomplished almost nothing of note. She hadnt killed any formidable champions, fought a Demon, held out against overwhelming odds, or anything else worth talking about. Holding a section of wall hardly made for an impressive or dramatic tale, and truth be told, most of the credit lay with Kyung. Now, she had a chance to prove her worth using the skills Grandpa taught her, and she would make sure the Empire learned of her name in a capacity other than Imperial Consort.
Not that Yan disliked the title. Quite the opposite, in fact, as she loved hearing others address her as such and seeing the envy hidden within their eyes, but she wanted to stand on her own merits and silence those naysayers grumbling about how she only had status thanks to the men in her life...
Good, Kang Bing said out loud, patting her once more before taking up his blood-stained halberd. Then you have command of the front. By your orders, Warrant Officer Yan.
Her first instinct was to protest and tell Kang Bing she wasnt ready, that she thought he meant if she was up for leading the vanguard rather than the entire force. She wanted to scream that he was a Colonel and command should rightfully be his, or one of the many other higher ranked officers in the crowd, but then she saw how all the soldiers in earshot had immediately turned to her for guidance. Hardly inspiring for their new commander to refuse responsibility only minutes before battle, and judging by the glint in Kang Bings eye, she knew hed done this intentionally. Well... it shouldnt be so bad, since Hongji had everything set up, and she still had Kyung and Kang Bing to keep her from fucking up too much, so she cleared her throat and said, Forward march, half speed.
Got it. Fumbling with his staff as he threw an awkward salute, Yan waited for Joranis second strike to finish before following along in its wake. A half-dozen paces of empty space was all she got before the Defiled were upon her once more, undaunted by the formidable show of force and unwilling to back down from a challenge. Many believed the Defiled were fearless, but Yan knew this to be false; they scared like any other wild beast, it just took more than the prospect of death to do it. They lived for bloodshed and didnt mind dying in service to it, which meant she had to show them the futility of standing in her way.
Grandpa Du did so by using his Wind Chakrams, giant rings of razor-sharp wind which cut clean through flesh and bone without dissipating. Yan couldnt do the same, because she lacked his Talent to keep Chi constructs from crumbling away upon contact with a living being. It had something to do with internal Domains and how every living being had one, even the lowliest peasant or weakest chicken, and those Domains were utterly inviolable. There was a lot of theological debate about it, with people claiming that Domains were an extension of the Spiritual form made manifest in the physical world, or that internal Domains were a property of the soul, but regardless of the reasons, Yan couldnt do what Grandpa Du could.
But she could do something similar.
With Ral and Jorani there to support her, Yan was free to hold back a bit and fight with horn and shield alone, leaving her Battle-Fan free to sow the seeds of victory. Twirling it between her fingers, she drew in a vortex of air which she used to feed and cultivate her killing blade. Round and round her Battle-Fan spun, consuming all the Chi she could spare it, until finally, she felt control slipping away and she had no choice left but to release it. A tricky thing, pointing her spinning fan towards the Defiled without angling it the wrong way, but as soon as she was reasonably certain she probably wouldnt kill any of her allies, she unleashed the whirlwind gathered about her Battle-Fan.
Well, not exactly a whirlwind, but more like five or six dozen Wind Blades, each one large enough to sever clean through an arm or neck.
The results were more spectacular than she expected as heads and limbs flew about the battlefield spewing fountains of crimson blood. The idea was that the leading Wind Blades would clear the path for the subsequent ones, but somehow, the turbulence from each impact was causing the subsequent Wind Blades to veer out of the way, scattering across the battlefield at more or less neck height. While it didnt quite clear a line through the Enemy like shed envisioned, it left the area before her only sparsely defended as maybe one of every three Defiled remained untouched by her attack. The others were dead or grievously wounded, and for a short, breath-taking second, both Imperial and Defiled alike stopped to gape at Yans ultimate attack.
Grandpa Du was the Sanguine Tempest, and now Yan was the Sanguine Whirlwind, a name she encouraged and was shortly being chanted by the soldiers under her command. It came from something Rain once said, about sowing the wind and reaping the whirlwind, and Yan had been enamoured with the saying ever since.
Forward! Yan commanded, and she even took a step in the right direction, but then her strength faded and Kyung was there to hold her up. Her soldiers didnt disappoint though, as Ral led the way to their beleaguered allies, who as it turns out, werent so beleaguered after all. Arriving in the thick of things thanks to Kyung gently Cloud-Stepping them over, Yan found Ulfsaars wife, Neera, hard at work Healing cattle alongside other similarly talented companions. Leaving the formidable woman to her delicate work, Yan looked around for someone of authority to speak to, but Rains people had never been big on banners and regalia. It didnt matter though, because she soon found all the answers she needed as Huu led his Sentinels around the side and herding a group of unfortunate Defiled into the path of Ulfsaars lumbering chariot. The whirling scythes attached to each wheel made short work of those poor bastards, and Yan saw the same tactic repeated more times by various groups around her position.
Clever. Grossly outnumbered by their foes, Ulfsaars cattle division would have been overrun in a matter of minutes if they tried to stand and fight, so they didnt even try. Instead, they held their ground by driving endless circles around it. To keep the Defiled on their toes, Huus Sentinels wove between the deadly patrols of whirling death, allowing them to surge out and attack before retreating to the safety of the inner circle, so long as they timed things right. It wasnt too difficult since cattle were not the fastest creatures in the world, but the Defiled were too timid to push into the circle, since the cattle cavalry were there waiting to receive them. Judging by the wheel marks on the ground, the circle had been shrinking for some time now as the chariots and quins churned the dirt and viscera into impassable mud, but now that Yans forces were here, Ulfsaar and Huu could rest easy.
Or so she thought, but once Kyung passed the orders along, both men replied in the negative. Two Warriors cut from the same cloth, though worded differently, their message was the same: point us where you wish to go, and we will deliver you there. Worried they might be pushing their own soldiers too hard, but unwilling to flat out refuse their offer of assistance like she had with XinYue, Yan inwardly shrugged and conveyed her new orders: move out of her way and follow her lead. This way, she could force them to rest and have them on hand if she needed their help to break through, but after a few minutes of bloody work, she discovered shed been overly cautious. The Defiled horde thinned out and Kyung confirmed theyd broken through, but there was no time for celebration. Their work was only half done as she split her forces with Mister Rustram, sending Ulfsaar with him and keeping Huu with her as they circled around the Defiled flanks. There, they transformed from prey to predator and tore into the bisected Defiled horde with unrestrained ferocity, her troops infected by the sheer zeal and bloodlust of the quins fighting alongside them.
It warmed Yans heart to see Huu wholly in his element, his ferocious smile wide and spirit unshackled as he carved in and out of the Defiled lines. Though bleeding from a handful of not-so minor wounds, there was no fear in him anymore, not even disguised as anger or self-loathing. This was the wild, headstrong, dependable Huu she knew and grew up with, a kind, quiet man with a thunderous temper, the Ravenous Wolf of the Bekhai.
Unused to fighting whilst surrounded, the Defiled lines crumbled in short order, but the whole ordeal still took longer than Yan would have liked. Thrice she almost fell over from sheer exhaustion, her Chi and stamina all but spent, and after the third time, Kyung would no longer allow her to rejoin the fight. By then, the battle was all but over so Yan simply directed the clean up, allowing her division to rest up while the freshest divisions cleared a path for the wagons trailing behind them.
Filled with contentment from a job well done, Yan turned to see how her allies fared and found good news waiting for her. Mila and Alsantset had driven off the garo riders, and the rear guard was making steady progress behind them, but Hongji had yet to Send new orders and Yan was at an impasse. Alsantset and Major Sun Qiang were busy guarding the flanks, so neither one could be spared to take overall control of the army. Glancing at Kang Bing, she noted how he was favouring his left and staring distractedly at the ground, which told her he was in no shape to command either. While Yan had busied herself clearing out the chaff, Kang Bing and Kyung had borne the unpleasant task of killing every Champion and Chieftain she came across, which were plenty since they relished the challenge of fighting a Wind-Blessed Warrior. Even Kyung looked tired, though a stranger wouldnt be able to tell, and while he had the knowledge needed to command, she was fairly certain he would freeze up in fright if she asked him to take over. He just wasnt equipped for such a heavy responsibility, having never had to worry about anything besides the well-being of one or two people.
As much as she wanted Kyungs skills to be recognized for what they were, it would be a long time before her adopted brother was ready to come out of his shell. Perhaps longer than Grandpa Du had left in this world, but such is life...
Not wanting to distract Hongji with a Sending while he was busy battling Demons, Yan organized the withdrawal with relative ease. Grandpa Dus lessons had prepared her well for this, and if she missed anything, Kyung, Kang Bing, and Mister Rustram were quick to point it out. Rather than stand around and wait, she set the soldiers to marching once more and organized a water-skin collection and distribution chain while they moved, and soon, the trampled battlefield was far behind them and every soldiers thirst was quenched. Unsure if there were any other traps or tricks ahead, Yan simply stayed the course and led her soldiers east, and would continue to do so until they either came across a friendly force or arrived at the second line, and that was that.
As the minutes ticked by in weary silence, the thrill of victory drained from Yans veins and left her tired and scared, especially since once Hongji finally made contact, it was only to request for more Demon Slayers. The requests came more frequently over the next hour, and Yan sent everyone she knew, including XinYue, Kyung, Kang Bing, Alsantset, Tenjin, and Tursinai, as Ghurda, Naaran, and the other Experts of the People had long since left to join the rearguard. She even sent Dastan out there, whod killed a Demon before, albeit a newly spawned one, and Sahb and Ulfsaar who requested to go too. Soon, Yan was all but begging any remaining hidden Experts to go help Hongji, and even vowed that anyone found holding back would be held in the deepest contempt and she would do everything in her power to have them charged with treason. That did the trick as almost a dozen Experts set out for the rearguard, and for a time, the requests stopped. Never one to stand idle, Yan arranged all her remaining Aura Capable warriors to the rear, as a last line of defence if any Demons should break through Hongjis valiant rear guards.
A pitiful last line it was, filled with all too familiar faces. Mila, Huu, Mister Rustram, Jorani, Ral, and Chey, they were the strongest of her remaining Experts, with lesser known talents like the Societys Xue Biqian and Jin Zhilan here to bolster their numbers. There was not a single Domain-capable warrior left to them, marking Yan as their one and only Warrior who might possibly have strength enough to break through a Demons innate defences, since any use of External Chi was technically an expression of a weak Domain.
Hardly the most reassuring thought, but perhaps Hongji had enough Demon Slayers to hold...
Their luck held for another hour, until another Sending from Hongji arrived. Four now nine Demons have slipped past my defences, Hongji Sent, sounding so tired his tone lacked any and all urgency. Incoming Demon attack. Yans blood chilled at the statement, but his next words terrified her to the core. Can spare no Experts. If unable to hold, order a full retreat.
To stand and fight or turn tail and run? The decision was left to Yan, but it was an easy decision to make. Either she would win here and secure her future, or she would die and be forever regaled as a failure who bungled her first command. Infantry, double time, she said, praying to the Mother for strength. There are nine demons headed towards us, with possibly more to follow. I, Du Min Yan will hold them here for as long as I am able, but the rest of you may do as you please.
With that, her path was set, and she immediately regretted this decision as Mila strode forth to stand at her side, flashing her feral smile and flourishing that fearsome weapon. Yan shouldve ordered her away so at least one of them might make it back to Rains side, but then the first Demon emerged from the darkness and it was already too late for regrets. On the bright side, Yan had already secured herself the title of Sanguine Whirlwind tonight, so with a little luck, she might also claim the title of Demon Slayer as well and make this truly a night to remember
Yan's Battle Formation
How the battle went
Chapter Meme
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Chapter 604
Organized chaos.
That was the only way Yan knew to describe it. Ever since Brigadier Hongji ordered the withdrawal and set fire to Sinuji, shed been drifting along in a surreal bubble of organized chaos. There were Demons and Defiled cavalry nipping at their heels and the bulk of the Enemy horde further behind, but for Yan and her retinue stuck in the middle of the Imperial forces, all of the death and turmoil seemed so distant and intangible. Behind them, she could hear the good Brigadier giving orders and calling for more Peak Experts to replace those who were dead or injured, while Yan made sure her hundred-man retinue marched ever eastwards at what felt like a snails pace. The Imperial army moved at a light jog, when every instinct screamed at her to run at full speed or to stand her ground and fight, but orders were orders, and Yan carried hers out to the letter.
Between mitigating nerves and bolstering spirits, Yan slowly pieced Hongjis plan together as they marched along, and for all intents and purposes, it was a decent one. The majority of the Imperial forces were on foot, which meant the closest fortress was two days away. If they kept their current pace, they could cut their travel time down to eighteen hours. A difficult ask, but manageable for most. Those who couldnt keep up could rest in the wagons for a spell, but there were Lieutenants and bully sergeants a plenty to ensure soldiers were completely and utterly spent before allowing them onto the wagons, all while the army marched away beneath the predatory gaze of the Demons and Defiled stalking them.
Yan had hunted often enough to spot the signs. It wasnt that the Defiled couldnt catch up, but they chose not to. They recognized that the Imperial forces were conserving their strength and saw no reason to waste theirs by running down a strong foe. The Defiled were the wolves, and the Imperial Army the stag, and a tired pack was no match for the lord of the forest, not while he was still fresh.
It was both logical and illogical at the same time, in Yans eyes. If the Imperial forces marched faster, then the Defiled would have to match them, and both groups would tire equally, or so she thought, but apparently, this was not the case. Not because the Defiled had more stamina, but because of the mentality behind their positions. The only difference between predator and prey in this instance was a psychological one, but Hongji was using this to his full advantage. If the prey did not present itself as prey, namely panicked and fearful, then the predator would feel uneasy and hold back. It felt like the flimsiest of barriers keeping the Defiled from descending upon the retreating Imperial forces, but by some miracle of the Mother, it was enough.
Tonights events really put Grandpa Dus lessons on tactics and formations into perspective, and Yan cursed her past self for not paying more attention. During her time in Central, she devoted most of her efforts towards making progress along the Martial Path and only spent an hour or two every week on tactics, logistics, and other such nonsense, but now she finally understood where it all fit in, especially once she noticed how things deviated from the norm. For example, Hongji had arranged the wagons in such a way so that those carrying food, uniforms, tents, and other extraneous items were on the extreme flanks of the formation, where they could be easily abandoned to slow down any pursuing Defiled. Wagons carrying water and soldiers were closer to the centre rather than to the rear of the marching troops. This raised clouds of dust and dirt which made it uncomfortable for the Imperial troops to march through, but it also left these most vulnerable of targets well-protected. An army could march a day or two without food, but they wouldnt last four hours without water, a simple fact which Yan would undoubtedly have overlooked.
There were other changes to the standard marching formation which Yan noticed, like how the entire army wasnt marching in a straight line stretching from east to west, but rather a tight, semi-circular row stretching from north to south. That was one reason for the confusion during the withdrawal, something Yan had initially attributed to panic and disorder, but was actually Hongji rearranging his forces into this odd formation. The soldiers werent just haphazardly thrown about and told to march, but painstakingly placed into this optimal formation. Neat blocks of soldiers moved in near lockstep, arranged so that heavy infantry led the way and set the pace while light infantry followed behind, and light cavalry rode on either flank to guard against attack. Yan wasnt sure where the heavy cavalry had gone off to, but this all made sense. This arrangement kept the soldiers in tight formation, since there was no way for the heavy infantry to lag behind, and if they had to turn and fight, the light infantry and cavalry would be less tired than their heavily armoured counterparts.
All this was basic, fundamental knowledge, but Yan found it fascinating to see it all first hand. Up until now, shed been left to her own devices for the most part, commanding her hundred-man retinue atop the battlements or out beyond the front lines. This sort of warfare was an entirely different beast from what she was accustomed to, but she discovered that Grandpa Dus lessons were slowly preparing her to one day command her own army of fifty-thousand or more. A prospect which was both thrilling and frightening, if Yan was being honest, because she was still struggling to feel comfortable in her role as Third Grade Warrant Officer. In fact, she even quietly gave thanks to the Mother Above for keeping her distracted during the Legates banquet this past spring, where most of Yans peers had been promoted to Major or Senior Captain equivalents. Commanding a hundred soldiers was burdensome enough, and Yan was not ready to command a thousand or more.This chapter is updated by nov(e)(l)biin.com
Hell, she was barely qualified to command a hundred. Sutah, her burly, dark-skinned, Southern-born second, managed most of the day to day tasks of Yans retinue, while Rain paid all the bills. The only thing she did was sign them up for ill-fated stints of duty like their most recent outing to thrice-cursed Sinuji.
As the night wore on, Yan continued learning from this hands-on lesson in command, and she was highly impressed by what she saw. The withdrawal had been planned down to the last detail, with tricks and traps aplenty to buy time for the Imperial forces and bleed their Defiled pursuers. Each time Hongji revealed his latest surprise, Yan half-expected the order to turn and fight, but alas, it never came, not even when the catapults revealed themselves to rain stony death upon the Enemy. If ever there were a time to break the Defiled spirits, that would have been it, but instead, Hongji kept them moving ever eastwards with no regards for what lay behind them.
Then she spotted movement ahead, and Yan was filled with awe and admiration for her commander, who somehow conjured up Imperial reinforcements out of thin air to come to their aid.
A sentiment which lasted for all of a second before the command came to form battle lines, as she was not looking at Imperial reinforcements, but seventy-thousand Defiled moving in to intercept. Once again, organized chaos took over as the Imperial army formed up to meet the Enemy, and Yan quickly lost herself to the flow. If not for big brother Kyung coaching her through Sending, she would have had no idea what to do, but she somehow managed to get her retinue together and move them into place, all while marching ever closer towards this new threat.
Somewhere along the way, Du Kang Bing appeared at her side, and Yan was only mildly surprised by his presence. The front lines were more dangerous than ever, so she expected Grandpa Du to provide her with more hidden protectors, and the lusty, but trustworthy young Colonel was one of the few people Grandpa could turn to. What did surprise Yan was how ragged Kang Bing looked, his armour shredded and expression bleak as he took a moment to catch his breath. Congratulations, he Sent, clapping Yan on the shoulder and flashing a fetching smile which did nothing to reassure her. Were in deep shit now. See our formation?
Glancing around the torchlight fields, Yan immediately picked up on her dilemma, because most of the torches were behind her. Were the tip of the spear, she Sent, knowing better than to let her soldiers hear the fear and surprise in her voice.
One spear, at least. Kang Bing pointed to the left, and Yan found a second unit moving up alongside her, albeit almost a hundred metres away.
The pieces fell into place and Hongjis plan revealed itself to her through the banners unfurling around her. Boars head formation, she said, recognizing the formation from one of Grandpas detailed diagrams, with her retinue and Mister Rustrams group forming the two tusks. Behind them, the Central and Southern infantry were forming up in wings, ready to follow up behind the initial charge and jump in wherever help was needed.
Good eye, Kang Bing Sent, nodding in approval. We move in behind the heavy cavalry with Mister Rustram, but theyll be spent by the time we get there. Once we push in, Major XinYue takes his cavalry and withdraws, while the Sentinels keep the garos off our asses. This means we cant count on the cavalry to carry us to victory, so what do we do?
Though not one of Grandpas direct Disciples, Kang Bing was an excellent student and decent teacher, to the point where it almost felt like it was Grandpa standing here to lecture her. Instead of answering right away, she continued looking around for more clues to Hongjis plan. The answer came to her as soon as she recognized the soldiers trickling in from all sides, a motley, dangerous bunch who looked out of place in Imperial regalia. Wang Baos cutthroats formed up around her, former Butchers and Corsairs one and all, while their meticulously groomed ruffian of a leader glowered them into submission, surveying his soldiers with his wicked battle-axe in hand and a devilish smile stretched across his lips, as if hoping to turn the weapon against them. Other Northern soldiers also filtered to the front, some joining her camp and others joining the one moving parallel to her position, led by none other than Rains competent second, Mister Rustram.
The right tool for the right job, as Grandpa Du often said, and it seems Hongji agreed. We need a fast victory and only have infantry to do it, Yan Sent. Mister Rustram and I are here to push through the Defiled Centre, while the groups behind us shore up the flanks. We cut in deep, bisect the Enemy horde and come out behind them, then turn around and collapse. With luck, we rout the intercepting force before our pursuers catch up, and then keep running to fight another day.
Got it in one. Thirty-five thousand Imperial infantry set against seventy thousand or so Defiled, and Brigadier Hongji has placed the outcome of this battle upon your shoulders. Flashing the charming smile which secured him so many wives and concubines, Kang Bing Sent, And if we fail, then ninety percent of Hongjis forces will be dead before dawn, and they can count themselves fortunate. His smile melting away, he asked, You up for the challenge?
Fuck yea, Yan blurted out, forgetting to Send in all her excitement. As dire as their situation might be, she was elated to have her skills recognized by a man like Hongji and given this daunting task, because up until now, shed accomplished almost nothing of note. She hadnt killed any formidable champions, fought a Demon, held out against overwhelming odds, or anything else worth talking about. Holding a section of wall hardly made for an impressive or dramatic tale, and truth be told, most of the credit lay with Kyung. Now, she had a chance to prove her worth using the skills Grandpa taught her, and she would make sure the Empire learned of her name in a capacity other than Imperial Consort.
Not that Yan disliked the title. Quite the opposite, in fact, as she loved hearing others address her as such and seeing the envy hidden within their eyes, but she wanted to stand on her own merits and silence those naysayers grumbling about how she only had status thanks to the men in her life...
Good, Kang Bing said out loud, patting her once more before taking up his blood-stained halberd. Then you have command of the front. By your orders, Warrant Officer Yan.
Her first instinct was to protest and tell Kang Bing she wasnt ready, that she thought he meant if she was up for leading the vanguard rather than the entire force. She wanted to scream that he was a Colonel and command should rightfully be his, or one of the many other higher ranked officers in the crowd, but then she saw how all the soldiers in earshot had immediately turned to her for guidance. Hardly inspiring for their new commander to refuse responsibility only minutes before battle, and judging by the glint in Kang Bings eye, she knew hed done this intentionally. Well... it shouldnt be so bad, since Hongji had everything set up, and she still had Kyung and Kang Bing to keep her from fucking up too much, so she cleared her throat and said, Forward march, half speed.
Got it. Fumbling with his staff as he threw an awkward salute, Yan waited for Joranis second strike to finish before following along in its wake. A half-dozen paces of empty space was all she got before the Defiled were upon her once more, undaunted by the formidable show of force and unwilling to back down from a challenge. Many believed the Defiled were fearless, but Yan knew this to be false; they scared like any other wild beast, it just took more than the prospect of death to do it. They lived for bloodshed and didnt mind dying in service to it, which meant she had to show them the futility of standing in her way.
Grandpa Du did so by using his Wind Chakrams, giant rings of razor-sharp wind which cut clean through flesh and bone without dissipating. Yan couldnt do the same, because she lacked his Talent to keep Chi constructs from crumbling away upon contact with a living being. It had something to do with internal Domains and how every living being had one, even the lowliest peasant or weakest chicken, and those Domains were utterly inviolable. There was a lot of theological debate about it, with people claiming that Domains were an extension of the Spiritual form made manifest in the physical world, or that internal Domains were a property of the soul, but regardless of the reasons, Yan couldnt do what Grandpa Du could.
But she could do something similar.
With Ral and Jorani there to support her, Yan was free to hold back a bit and fight with horn and shield alone, leaving her Battle-Fan free to sow the seeds of victory. Twirling it between her fingers, she drew in a vortex of air which she used to feed and cultivate her killing blade. Round and round her Battle-Fan spun, consuming all the Chi she could spare it, until finally, she felt control slipping away and she had no choice left but to release it. A tricky thing, pointing her spinning fan towards the Defiled without angling it the wrong way, but as soon as she was reasonably certain she probably wouldnt kill any of her allies, she unleashed the whirlwind gathered about her Battle-Fan.
Well, not exactly a whirlwind, but more like five or six dozen Wind Blades, each one large enough to sever clean through an arm or neck.
The results were more spectacular than she expected as heads and limbs flew about the battlefield spewing fountains of crimson blood. The idea was that the leading Wind Blades would clear the path for the subsequent ones, but somehow, the turbulence from each impact was causing the subsequent Wind Blades to veer out of the way, scattering across the battlefield at more or less neck height. While it didnt quite clear a line through the Enemy like shed envisioned, it left the area before her only sparsely defended as maybe one of every three Defiled remained untouched by her attack. The others were dead or grievously wounded, and for a short, breath-taking second, both Imperial and Defiled alike stopped to gape at Yans ultimate attack.
Grandpa Du was the Sanguine Tempest, and now Yan was the Sanguine Whirlwind, a name she encouraged and was shortly being chanted by the soldiers under her command. It came from something Rain once said, about sowing the wind and reaping the whirlwind, and Yan had been enamoured with the saying ever since.
Forward! Yan commanded, and she even took a step in the right direction, but then her strength faded and Kyung was there to hold her up. Her soldiers didnt disappoint though, as Ral led the way to their beleaguered allies, who as it turns out, werent so beleaguered after all. Arriving in the thick of things thanks to Kyung gently Cloud-Stepping them over, Yan found Ulfsaars wife, Neera, hard at work Healing cattle alongside other similarly talented companions. Leaving the formidable woman to her delicate work, Yan looked around for someone of authority to speak to, but Rains people had never been big on banners and regalia. It didnt matter though, because she soon found all the answers she needed as Huu led his Sentinels around the side and herding a group of unfortunate Defiled into the path of Ulfsaars lumbering chariot. The whirling scythes attached to each wheel made short work of those poor bastards, and Yan saw the same tactic repeated more times by various groups around her position.
Clever. Grossly outnumbered by their foes, Ulfsaars cattle division would have been overrun in a matter of minutes if they tried to stand and fight, so they didnt even try. Instead, they held their ground by driving endless circles around it. To keep the Defiled on their toes, Huus Sentinels wove between the deadly patrols of whirling death, allowing them to surge out and attack before retreating to the safety of the inner circle, so long as they timed things right. It wasnt too difficult since cattle were not the fastest creatures in the world, but the Defiled were too timid to push into the circle, since the cattle cavalry were there waiting to receive them. Judging by the wheel marks on the ground, the circle had been shrinking for some time now as the chariots and quins churned the dirt and viscera into impassable mud, but now that Yans forces were here, Ulfsaar and Huu could rest easy.
Or so she thought, but once Kyung passed the orders along, both men replied in the negative. Two Warriors cut from the same cloth, though worded differently, their message was the same: point us where you wish to go, and we will deliver you there. Worried they might be pushing their own soldiers too hard, but unwilling to flat out refuse their offer of assistance like she had with XinYue, Yan inwardly shrugged and conveyed her new orders: move out of her way and follow her lead. This way, she could force them to rest and have them on hand if she needed their help to break through, but after a few minutes of bloody work, she discovered shed been overly cautious. The Defiled horde thinned out and Kyung confirmed theyd broken through, but there was no time for celebration. Their work was only half done as she split her forces with Mister Rustram, sending Ulfsaar with him and keeping Huu with her as they circled around the Defiled flanks. There, they transformed from prey to predator and tore into the bisected Defiled horde with unrestrained ferocity, her troops infected by the sheer zeal and bloodlust of the quins fighting alongside them.
It warmed Yans heart to see Huu wholly in his element, his ferocious smile wide and spirit unshackled as he carved in and out of the Defiled lines. Though bleeding from a handful of not-so minor wounds, there was no fear in him anymore, not even disguised as anger or self-loathing. This was the wild, headstrong, dependable Huu she knew and grew up with, a kind, quiet man with a thunderous temper, the Ravenous Wolf of the Bekhai.
Unused to fighting whilst surrounded, the Defiled lines crumbled in short order, but the whole ordeal still took longer than Yan would have liked. Thrice she almost fell over from sheer exhaustion, her Chi and stamina all but spent, and after the third time, Kyung would no longer allow her to rejoin the fight. By then, the battle was all but over so Yan simply directed the clean up, allowing her division to rest up while the freshest divisions cleared a path for the wagons trailing behind them.
Filled with contentment from a job well done, Yan turned to see how her allies fared and found good news waiting for her. Mila and Alsantset had driven off the garo riders, and the rear guard was making steady progress behind them, but Hongji had yet to Send new orders and Yan was at an impasse. Alsantset and Major Sun Qiang were busy guarding the flanks, so neither one could be spared to take overall control of the army. Glancing at Kang Bing, she noted how he was favouring his left and staring distractedly at the ground, which told her he was in no shape to command either. While Yan had busied herself clearing out the chaff, Kang Bing and Kyung had borne the unpleasant task of killing every Champion and Chieftain she came across, which were plenty since they relished the challenge of fighting a Wind-Blessed Warrior. Even Kyung looked tired, though a stranger wouldnt be able to tell, and while he had the knowledge needed to command, she was fairly certain he would freeze up in fright if she asked him to take over. He just wasnt equipped for such a heavy responsibility, having never had to worry about anything besides the well-being of one or two people.
As much as she wanted Kyungs skills to be recognized for what they were, it would be a long time before her adopted brother was ready to come out of his shell. Perhaps longer than Grandpa Du had left in this world, but such is life...
Not wanting to distract Hongji with a Sending while he was busy battling Demons, Yan organized the withdrawal with relative ease. Grandpa Dus lessons had prepared her well for this, and if she missed anything, Kyung, Kang Bing, and Mister Rustram were quick to point it out. Rather than stand around and wait, she set the soldiers to marching once more and organized a water-skin collection and distribution chain while they moved, and soon, the trampled battlefield was far behind them and every soldiers thirst was quenched. Unsure if there were any other traps or tricks ahead, Yan simply stayed the course and led her soldiers east, and would continue to do so until they either came across a friendly force or arrived at the second line, and that was that.
As the minutes ticked by in weary silence, the thrill of victory drained from Yans veins and left her tired and scared, especially since once Hongji finally made contact, it was only to request for more Demon Slayers. The requests came more frequently over the next hour, and Yan sent everyone she knew, including XinYue, Kyung, Kang Bing, Alsantset, Tenjin, and Tursinai, as Ghurda, Naaran, and the other Experts of the People had long since left to join the rearguard. She even sent Dastan out there, whod killed a Demon before, albeit a newly spawned one, and Sahb and Ulfsaar who requested to go too. Soon, Yan was all but begging any remaining hidden Experts to go help Hongji, and even vowed that anyone found holding back would be held in the deepest contempt and she would do everything in her power to have them charged with treason. That did the trick as almost a dozen Experts set out for the rearguard, and for a time, the requests stopped. Never one to stand idle, Yan arranged all her remaining Aura Capable warriors to the rear, as a last line of defence if any Demons should break through Hongjis valiant rear guards.
A pitiful last line it was, filled with all too familiar faces. Mila, Huu, Mister Rustram, Jorani, Ral, and Chey, they were the strongest of her remaining Experts, with lesser known talents like the Societys Xue Biqian and Jin Zhilan here to bolster their numbers. There was not a single Domain-capable warrior left to them, marking Yan as their one and only Warrior who might possibly have strength enough to break through a Demons innate defences, since any use of External Chi was technically an expression of a weak Domain.
Hardly the most reassuring thought, but perhaps Hongji had enough Demon Slayers to hold...
Their luck held for another hour, until another Sending from Hongji arrived. Four now nine Demons have slipped past my defences, Hongji Sent, sounding so tired his tone lacked any and all urgency. Incoming Demon attack. Yans blood chilled at the statement, but his next words terrified her to the core. Can spare no Experts. If unable to hold, order a full retreat.
To stand and fight or turn tail and run? The decision was left to Yan, but it was an easy decision to make. Either she would win here and secure her future, or she would die and be forever regaled as a failure who bungled her first command. Infantry, double time, she said, praying to the Mother for strength. There are nine demons headed towards us, with possibly more to follow. I, Du Min Yan will hold them here for as long as I am able, but the rest of you may do as you please.
With that, her path was set, and she immediately regretted this decision as Mila strode forth to stand at her side, flashing her feral smile and flourishing that fearsome weapon. Yan shouldve ordered her away so at least one of them might make it back to Rains side, but then the first Demon emerged from the darkness and it was already too late for regrets. On the bright side, Yan had already secured herself the title of Sanguine Whirlwind tonight, so with a little luck, she might also claim the title of Demon Slayer as well and make this truly a night to remember
Yan's Battle Formation
How the battle went
Chapter Meme
Chapter 604Organized chaos.That was the only way Yan knew to describe it. Ever since Brigadier Hongji ordered the withdrawal and set fire to Sinuji, shed been drifting along in a surreal bubble of organized chaos. There were Demons and Defiled cavalry nipping at their heels and the bulk of the Enemy horde further behind, but for Yan and her retinue stuck in the middle of the Imperial forces, all of the death and turmoil seemed so distant and intangible. Behind them, she could hear the good Brigadier giving orders and calling for more Peak Experts to replace those who were dead or injured, while Yan made sure her hundred-man retinue marched ever eastwards at what felt like a snails pace. The Imperial army moved at a light jog, when every instinct screamed at her to run at full speed or to stand her ground and fight, but orders were orders, and Yan carried hers out to the letter.Between mitigating nerves and bolstering spirits, Yan slowly pieced Hongjis plan together as they marched along, and for all intents and purposes, it was a decent one. The majority of the Imperial forces were on foot, which meant the closest fortress was two days away. If they kept their current pace, they could cut their travel time down to eighteen hours. A difficult ask, but manageable for most. Those who couldnt keep up could rest in the wagons for a spell, but there were Lieutenants and bully sergeants a plenty to ensure soldiers were completely and utterly spent before allowing them onto the wagons, all while the army marched away beneath the predatory gaze of the Demons and Defiled stalking them.Yan had hunted often enough to spot the signs. It wasnt that the Defiled couldnt catch up, but they chose not to. They recognized that the Imperial forces were conserving their strength and saw no reason to waste theirs by running down a strong foe. The Defiled were the wolves, and the Imperial Army the stag, and a tired pack was no match for the lord of the forest, not while he was still fresh.It was both logical and illogical at the same time, in Yans eyes. If the Imperial forces marched faster, then the Defiled would have to match them, and both groups would tire equally, or so she thought, but apparently, this was not the case. Not because the Defiled had more stamina, but because of the mentality behind their positions. The only difference between predator and prey in this instance was a psychological one, but Hongji was using this to his full advantage. If the prey did not present itself as prey, namely panicked and fearful, then the predator would feel uneasy and hold back. It felt like the flimsiest of barriers keeping the Defiled from descending upon the retreating Imperial forces, but by some miracle of the Mother, it was enough.Tonights events really put Grandpa Dus lessons on tactics and formations into perspective, and Yan cursed her past self for not paying more attention. During her time in Central, she devoted most of her efforts towards making progress along the Martial Path and only spent an hour or two every week on tactics, logistics, and other such nonsense, but now she finally understood where it all fit in, especially once she noticed how things deviated from the norm. For example, Hongji had arranged the wagons in such a way so that those carrying food, uniforms, tents, and other extraneous items were on the extreme flanks of the formation, where they could be easily abandoned to slow down any pursuing Defiled. Wagons carrying water and soldiers were closer to the centre rather than to the rear of the marching troops. This raised clouds of dust and dirt which made it uncomfortable for the Imperial troops to march through, but it also left these most vulnerable of targets well-protected. An army could march a day or two without food, but they wouldnt last four hours without water, a simple fact which Yan would undoubtedly have overlooked.There were other changes to the standard marching formation which Yan noticed, like how the entire army wasnt marching in a straight line stretching from east to west, but rather a tight, semi-circular row stretching from north to south. That was one reason for the confusion during the withdrawal, something Yan had initially attributed to panic and disorder, but was actually Hongji rearranging his forces into this odd formation. The soldiers werent just haphazardly thrown about and told to march, but painstakingly placed into this optimal formation. Neat blocks of soldiers moved in near lockstep, arranged so that heavy infantry led the way and set the pace while light infantry followed behind, and light cavalry rode on either flank to guard against attack. Yan wasnt sure where the heavy cavalry had gone off to, but this all made sense. This arrangement kept the soldiers in tight formation, since there was no way for the heavy infantry to lag behind, and if they had to turn and fight, the light infantry and cavalry would be less tired than their heavily armoured counterparts.All this was basic, fundamental knowledge, but Yan found it fascinating to see it all first hand. Up until now, shed been left to her own devices for the most part, commanding her hundred-man retinue atop the battlements or out beyond the front lines. This sort of warfare was an entirely different beast from what she was accustomed to, but she discovered that Grandpa Dus lessons were slowly preparing her to one day command her own army of fifty-thousand or more. A prospect which was both thrilling and frightening, if Yan was being honest, because she was still struggling to feel comfortable in her role as Third Grade Warrant Officer. In fact, she even quietly gave thanks to the Mother Above for keeping her distracted during the Legates banquet this past spring, where most of Yans peers had been promoted to Major or Senior Captain equivalents. Commanding a hundred soldiers was burdensome enough, and Yan was not ready to command a thousand or more.This chapter is updated by novelbiin.comHell, she was barely qualified to command a hundred. Sutah, her burly, dark-skinned, Southern-born second, managed most of the day to day tasks of Yans retinue, while Rain paid all the bills. The only thing she did was sign them up for ill-fated stints of duty like their most recent outing to thrice-cursed Sinuji.As the night wore on, Yan continued learning from this hands-on lesson in command, and she was highly impressed by what she saw. The withdrawal had been planned down to the last detail, with tricks and traps aplenty to buy time for the Imperial forces and bleed their Defiled pursuers. Each time Hongji revealed his latest surprise, Yan half-expected the order to turn and fight, but alas, it never came, not even when the catapults revealed themselves to rain stony death upon the Enemy. If ever there were a time to break the Defiled spirits, that would have been it, but instead, Hongji kept them moving ever eastwards with no regards for what lay behind them.Then she spotted movement ahead, and Yan was filled with awe and admiration for her commander, who somehow conjured up Imperial reinforcements out of thin air to come to their aid.A sentiment which lasted for all of a second before the command came to form battle lines, as she was not looking at Imperial reinforcements, but seventy-thousand Defiled moving in to intercept. Once again, organized chaos took over as the Imperial army formed up to meet the Enemy, and Yan quickly lost herself to the flow. If not for big brother Kyung coaching her through Sending, she would have had no idea what to do, but she somehow managed to get her retinue together and move them into place, all while marching ever closer towards this new threat.Somewhere along the way, Du Kang Bing appeared at her side, and Yan was only mildly surprised by his presence. The front lines were more dangerous than ever, so she expected Grandpa Du to provide her with more hidden protectors, and the lusty, but trustworthy young Colonel was one of the few people Grandpa could turn to. What did surprise Yan was how ragged Kang Bing looked, his armour shredded and expression bleak as he took a moment to catch his breath. Congratulations, he Sent, clapping Yan on the shoulder and flashing a fetching smile which did nothing to reassure her. Were in deep shit now. See our formation?Glancing around the torchlight fields, Yan immediately picked up on her dilemma, because most of the torches were behind her. Were the tip of the spear, she Sent, knowing better than to let her soldiers hear the fear and surprise in her voice.One spear, at least. Kang Bing pointed to the left, and Yan found a second unit moving up alongside her, albeit almost a hundred metres away.The pieces fell into place and Hongjis plan revealed itself to her through the banners unfurling around her. Boars head formation, she said, recognizing the formation from one of Grandpas detailed diagrams, with her retinue and Mister Rustrams group forming the two tusks. Behind them, the Central and Southern infantry were forming up in wings, ready to follow up behind the initial charge and jump in wherever help was needed.Good eye, Kang Bing Sent, nodding in approval. We move in behind the heavy cavalry with Mister Rustram, but theyll be spent by the time we get there. Once we push in, Major XinYue takes his cavalry and withdraws, while the Sentinels keep the garos off our asses. This means we cant count on the cavalry to carry us to victory, so what do we do?Though not one of Grandpas direct Disciples, Kang Bing was an excellent student and decent teacher, to the point where it almost felt like it was Grandpa standing here to lecture her. Instead of answering right away, she continued looking around for more clues to Hongjis plan. The answer came to her as soon as she recognized the soldiers trickling in from all sides, a motley, dangerous bunch who looked out of place in Imperial regalia. Wang Baos cutthroats formed up around her, former Butchers and Corsairs one and all, while their meticulously groomed ruffian of a leader glowered them into submission, surveying his soldiers with his wicked battle-axe in hand and a devilish smile stretched across his lips, as if hoping to turn the weapon against them. Other Northern soldiers also filtered to the front, some joining her camp and others joining the one moving parallel to her position, led by none other than Rains competent second, Mister Rustram.The right tool for the right job, as Grandpa Du often said, and it seems Hongji agreed. We need a fast victory and only have infantry to do it, Yan Sent. Mister Rustram and I are here to push through the Defiled Centre, while the groups behind us shore up the flanks. We cut in deep, bisect the Enemy horde and come out behind them, then turn around and collapse. With luck, we rout the intercepting force before our pursuers catch up, and then keep running to fight another day.Got it in one. Thirty-five thousand Imperial infantry set against seventy thousand or so Defiled, and Brigadier Hongji has placed the outcome of this battle upon your shoulders. Flashing the charming smile which secured him so many wives and concubines, Kang Bing Sent, And if we fail, then ninety percent of Hongjis forces will be dead before dawn, and they can count themselves fortunate. His smile melting away, he asked, You up for the challenge?Fuck yea, Yan blurted out, forgetting to Send in all her excitement. As dire as their situation might be, she was elated to have her skills recognized by a man like Hongji and given this daunting task, because up until now, shed accomplished almost nothing of note. She hadnt killed any formidable champions, fought a Demon, held out against overwhelming odds, or anything else worth talking about. Holding a section of wall hardly made for an impressive or dramatic tale, and truth be told, most of the credit lay with Kyung. Now, she had a chance to prove her worth using the skills Grandpa taught her, and she would make sure the Empire learned of her name in a capacity other than Imperial Consort.Not that Yan disliked the title. Quite the opposite, in fact, as she loved hearing others address her as such and seeing the envy hidden within their eyes, but she wanted to stand on her own merits and silence those naysayers grumbling about how she only had status thanks to the men in her life...Good, Kang Bing said out loud, patting her once more before taking up his blood-stained halberd. Then you have command of the front. By your orders, Warrant Officer Yan.Her first instinct was to protest and tell Kang Bing she wasnt ready, that she thought he meant if she was up for leading the vanguard rather than the entire force. She wanted to scream that he was a Colonel and command should rightfully be his, or one of the many other higher ranked officers in the crowd, but then she saw how all the soldiers in earshot had immediately turned to her for guidance. Hardly inspiring for their new commander to refuse responsibility only minutes before battle, and judging by the glint in Kang Bings eye, she knew hed done this intentionally. Well... it shouldnt be so bad, since Hongji had everything set up, and she still had Kyung and Kang Bing to keep her from fucking up too much, so she cleared her throat and said, Forward march, half speed.Got it. Fumbling with his staff as he threw an awkward salute, Yan waited for Joranis second strike to finish before following along in its wake. A half-dozen paces of empty space was all she got before the Defiled were upon her once more, undaunted by the formidable show of force and unwilling to back down from a challenge. Many believed the Defiled were fearless, but Yan knew this to be false; they scared like any other wild beast, it just took more than the prospect of death to do it. They lived for bloodshed and didnt mind dying in service to it, which meant she had to show them the futility of standing in her way.Grandpa Du did so by using his Wind Chakrams, giant rings of razor-sharp wind which cut clean through flesh and bone without dissipating. Yan couldnt do the same, because she lacked his Talent to keep Chi constructs from crumbling away upon contact with a living being. It had something to do with internal Domains and how every living being had one, even the lowliest peasant or weakest chicken, and those Domains were utterly inviolable. There was a lot of theological debate about it, with people claiming that Domains were an extension of the Spiritual form made manifest in the physical world, or that internal Domains were a property of the soul, but regardless of the reasons, Yan couldnt do what Grandpa Du could.But she could do something similar.With Ral and Jorani there to support her, Yan was free to hold back a bit and fight with horn and shield alone, leaving her Battle-Fan free to sow the seeds of victory. Twirling it between her fingers, she drew in a vortex of air which she used to feed and cultivate her killing blade. Round and round her Battle-Fan spun, consuming all the Chi she could spare it, until finally, she felt control slipping away and she had no choice left but to release it. A tricky thing, pointing her spinning fan towards the Defiled without angling it the wrong way, but as soon as she was reasonably certain she probably wouldnt kill any of her allies, she unleashed the whirlwind gathered about her Battle-Fan.Well, not exactly a whirlwind, but more like five or six dozen Wind Blades, each one large enough to sever clean through an arm or neck.The results were more spectacular than she expected as heads and limbs flew about the battlefield spewing fountains of crimson blood. The idea was that the leading Wind Blades would clear the path for the subsequent ones, but somehow, the turbulence from each impact was causing the subsequent Wind Blades to veer out of the way, scattering across the battlefield at more or less neck height. While it didnt quite clear a line through the Enemy like shed envisioned, it left the area before her only sparsely defended as maybe one of every three Defiled remained untouched by her attack. The others were dead or grievously wounded, and for a short, breath-taking second, both Imperial and Defiled alike stopped to gape at Yans ultimate attack.Grandpa Du was the Sanguine Tempest, and now Yan was the Sanguine Whirlwind, a name she encouraged and was shortly being chanted by the soldiers under her command. It came from something Rain once said, about sowing the wind and reaping the whirlwind, and Yan had been enamoured with the saying ever since.Forward! Yan commanded, and she even took a step in the right direction, but then her strength faded and Kyung was there to hold her up. Her soldiers didnt disappoint though, as Ral led the way to their beleaguered allies, who as it turns out, werent so beleaguered after all. Arriving in the thick of things thanks to Kyung gently Cloud-Stepping them over, Yan found Ulfsaars wife, Neera, hard at work Healing cattle alongside other similarly talented companions. Leaving the formidable woman to her delicate work, Yan looked around for someone of authority to speak to, but Rains people had never been big on banners and regalia. It didnt matter though, because she soon found all the answers she needed as Huu led his Sentinels around the side and herding a group of unfortunate Defiled into the path of Ulfsaars lumbering chariot. The whirling scythes attached to each wheel made short work of those poor bastards, and Yan saw the same tactic repeated more times by various groups around her position.Clever. Grossly outnumbered by their foes, Ulfsaars cattle division would have been overrun in a matter of minutes if they tried to stand and fight, so they didnt even try. Instead, they held their ground by driving endless circles around it. To keep the Defiled on their toes, Huus Sentinels wove between the deadly patrols of whirling death, allowing them to surge out and attack before retreating to the safety of the inner circle, so long as they timed things right. It wasnt too difficult since cattle were not the fastest creatures in the world, but the Defiled were too timid to push into the circle, since the cattle cavalry were there waiting to receive them. Judging by the wheel marks on the ground, the circle had been shrinking for some time now as the chariots and quins churned the dirt and viscera into impassable mud, but now that Yans forces were here, Ulfsaar and Huu could rest easy.Or so she thought, but once Kyung passed the orders along, both men replied in the negative. Two Warriors cut from the same cloth, though worded differently, their message was the same: point us where you wish to go, and we will deliver you there. Worried they might be pushing their own soldiers too hard, but unwilling to flat out refuse their offer of assistance like she had with XinYue, Yan inwardly shrugged and conveyed her new orders: move out of her way and follow her lead. This way, she could force them to rest and have them on hand if she needed their help to break through, but after a few minutes of bloody work, she discovered shed been overly cautious. The Defiled horde thinned out and Kyung confirmed theyd broken through, but there was no time for celebration. Their work was only half done as she split her forces with Mister Rustram, sending Ulfsaar with him and keeping Huu with her as they circled around the Defiled flanks. There, they transformed from prey to predator and tore into the bisected Defiled horde with unrestrained ferocity, her troops infected by the sheer zeal and bloodlust of the quins fighting alongside them.It warmed Yans heart to see Huu wholly in his element, his ferocious smile wide and spirit unshackled as he carved in and out of the Defiled lines. Though bleeding from a handful of not-so minor wounds, there was no fear in him anymore, not even disguised as anger or self-loathing. This was the wild, headstrong, dependable Huu she knew and grew up with, a kind, quiet man with a thunderous temper, the Ravenous Wolf of the Bekhai.Unused to fighting whilst surrounded, the Defiled lines crumbled in short order, but the whole ordeal still took longer than Yan would have liked. Thrice she almost fell over from sheer exhaustion, her Chi and stamina all but spent, and after the third time, Kyung would no longer allow her to rejoin the fight. By then, the battle was all but over so Yan simply directed the clean up, allowing her division to rest up while the freshest divisions cleared a path for the wagons trailing behind them.Filled with contentment from a job well done, Yan turned to see how her allies fared and found good news waiting for her. Mila and Alsantset had driven off the garo riders, and the rear guard was making steady progress behind them, but Hongji had yet to Send new orders and Yan was at an impasse. Alsantset and Major Sun Qiang were busy guarding the flanks, so neither one could be spared to take overall control of the army. Glancing at Kang Bing, she noted how he was favouring his left and staring distractedly at the ground, which told her he was in no shape to command either. While Yan had busied herself clearing out the chaff, Kang Bing and Kyung had borne the unpleasant task of killing every Champion and Chieftain she came across, which were plenty since they relished the challenge of fighting a Wind-Blessed Warrior. Even Kyung looked tired, though a stranger wouldnt be able to tell, and while he had the knowledge needed to command, she was fairly certain he would freeze up in fright if she asked him to take over. He just wasnt equipped for such a heavy responsibility, having never had to worry about anything besides the well-being of one or two people.As much as she wanted Kyungs skills to be recognized for what they were, it would be a long time before her adopted brother was ready to come out of his shell. Perhaps longer than Grandpa Du had left in this world, but such is life...Not wanting to distract Hongji with a Sending while he was busy battling Demons, Yan organized the withdrawal with relative ease. Grandpa Dus lessons had prepared her well for this, and if she missed anything, Kyung, Kang Bing, and Mister Rustram were quick to point it out. Rather than stand around and wait, she set the soldiers to marching once more and organized a water-skin collection and distribution chain while they moved, and soon, the trampled battlefield was far behind them and every soldiers thirst was quenched. Unsure if there were any other traps or tricks ahead, Yan simply stayed the course and led her soldiers east, and would continue to do so until they either came across a friendly force or arrived at the second line, and that was that.As the minutes ticked by in weary silence, the thrill of victory drained from Yans veins and left her tired and scared, especially since once Hongji finally made contact, it was only to request for more Demon Slayers. The requests came more frequently over the next hour, and Yan sent everyone she knew, including XinYue, Kyung, Kang Bing, Alsantset, Tenjin, and Tursinai, as Ghurda, Naaran, and the other Experts of the People had long since left to join the rearguard. She even sent Dastan out there, whod killed a Demon before, albeit a newly spawned one, and Sahb and Ulfsaar who requested to go too. Soon, Yan was all but begging any remaining hidden Experts to go help Hongji, and even vowed that anyone found holding back would be held in the deepest contempt and she would do everything in her power to have them charged with treason. That did the trick as almost a dozen Experts set out for the rearguard, and for a time, the requests stopped. Never one to stand idle, Yan arranged all her remaining Aura Capable warriors to the rear, as a last line of defence if any Demons should break through Hongjis valiant rear guards.A pitiful last line it was, filled with all too familiar faces. Mila, Huu, Mister Rustram, Jorani, Ral, and Chey, they were the strongest of her remaining Experts, with lesser known talents like the Societys Xue Biqian and Jin Zhilan here to bolster their numbers. There was not a single Domain-capable warrior left to them, marking Yan as their one and only Warrior who might possibly have strength enough to break through a Demons innate defences, since any use of External Chi was technically an expression of a weak Domain.Hardly the most reassuring thought, but perhaps Hongji had enough Demon Slayers to hold...Their luck held for another hour, until another Sending from Hongji arrived. Four now nine Demons have slipped past my defences, Hongji Sent, sounding so tired his tone lacked any and all urgency. Incoming Demon attack. Yans blood chilled at the statement, but his next words terrified her to the core. Can spare no Experts. If unable to hold, order a full retreat.To stand and fight or turn tail and run? The decision was left to Yan, but it was an easy decision to make. Either she would win here and secure her future, or she would die and be forever regaled as a failure who bungled her first command. Infantry, double time, she said, praying to the Mother for strength. There are nine demons headed towards us, with possibly more to follow. I, Du Min Yan will hold them here for as long as I am able, but the rest of you may do as you please.With that, her path was set, and she immediately regretted this decision as Mila strode forth to stand at her side, flashing her feral smile and flourishing that fearsome weapon. Yan shouldve ordered her away so at least one of them might make it back to Rains side, but then the first Demon emerged from the darkness and it was already too late for regrets. On the bright side, Yan had already secured herself the title of Sanguine Whirlwind tonight, so with a little luck, she might also claim the title of Demon Slayer as well and make this truly a night to rememberYan's Battle FormationHow the battle wentChapter Meme
